Competency Assessment of Hard Skills Among College Students: Structural Technical Gaps and Implications for Retention

Resumen

This study assessed the level of mastery of hard skills among forty-eight first-semester college students during the period from August to December 2025. Using a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional diagnostic-descriptive design, the sections of the Transversal Competencies Questionnaire were adapted using Behavior Observation Scales. The statistical outcomes indicated a global low to average performance expressed by an overall weighted mean of 2.18. Assessment of technical problem solving revealed the most severe deficiency, with a mean of 1.85, indicating marked difficulty identifying and sequencing logical responses to errors. However, the lack of appropriate basic computer skills only reaches 2.41 point score (maximum: 5 points) was also regarded the highlight rated competent level among deficient aspects and this only to changes as far as basic operation. Furthermore, the analysis by gender showed no significant gaps in instrumental performance. It is concluded that incoming students lack the minimum technical skills required for higher education, making it essential to urgently implement mandatory remedial programs aimed at mitigating these structural cognitive gaps and ensuring early retention in school.